Teacher Training Faculty

Maxine Jeffrey

Maxine Jeffrey, B.Sc.O.T. (honors), B.Sc. Kin, Certified Interdisciplinary Yoga Instructor (500-hour), Certified Pre-natal Yoga Instructor, Certified Pranassage Practitioner. Well educated in anatomy and body mechanics, Maxine has recently returned to "the student role" and will graduate with 5 years of Osteopathy training in 2019. She has studied extensively with Amba Camp, Don Stapleton, Tim Miller, Mark Darby, Hart Lazer, Coeli Marsh, and David Swenson. She taught courses in Yoga Therapy to health professionals and medical doctors for Dalhousie University Continuing Physiotherapy Education. She has continued to be recognized by Halifax readers of The Coast in "Best Yoga Instructor" category since 1999. Her education in Occupational Therapy, Kinesiology, and Osteopathic studies give her the therapeutic approach in developing classes and instruction at the appropriate level of challenge. She is able to modify postures and classes to suit all levels of ability. Maxine has been co-directing the TAYS Hatha Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training (200-hour) since 2002 and the TAYS (500-hour) advanced training since 2004, she also teaches a yearly pre and post-natal yoga certification program to certified yoga teachers.

"Hi Maxine, I just want you to know, that you are a wonderful yoga teacher and that I love your classes. You are so seamless in your delivery, and let us be challenged but at our own rate. Thanks for all the expertise and joy you bring to your class. You are quite an anchor in my life." V. L.

Michael Munro

Michael Munro, B.Sc.P.T.(R), MCPA, certified Interdisciplinary Yoga Instructor (500 hour), licensed and practicing physiotherapist. Mike has practiced in the field of Physical Therapy for fourteen years and currently combines his yoga and Physical Therapy background to teach yoga and meditation with skill and experience. His background is beneficial in helping people of all abilities find their personalized yoga practice.

His yoga training started in 1993 with Iyengar Yoga teacher Bev Windsor. He has since taken teacher-training programs with Don and Amba-Camp Stapleton in Interdisciplinary Yoga and has studied the Ashtanga yoga of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois with Tim Miller, David Swenson, Mark Darby, Hart Lazer, Philip Urso, Coeli Marsh, and Allison Ulan. He taught courses in Yoga Therapy to health professionals and medical doctors for Dalhousie University Continuing Physiotherapy Education and is a Certified Pranassage Practitioner, combining yoga and massage techniques. Mike and his business partner, Maxine, have been offering 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training programs since 2001, and 500-hour trainings since 2004. Mike’s backgrounds and interests allow him to teach yoga with skill, precision and a sense of humor.

He has been studying meditation and Buddhism since 1993, and has a genuine interest and educated view on the history and philosophy of yoga and the yogic path. Mike is a graduate of Nitartha Institute, an Advanced Buddhist study program taught by internationally known Buddhist teachers and scholars. He is a student of Tibetan Buddhist meditation master and scholar Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and is the Canadian chair on the Board of Directors for Nalandabodhi Canada.

Cléo Burke

Cléo is a 500Hr RYT and teacher trainer at TAYS. Though teaching was not the initial goal of yoga training, in doing the work Cléo uncovered new ways to connect to herself and others. This led to a passion and joy for teaching, and she now leads classes that are accessible, heartfelt and promote curiosity and play.

Cléo also uses yoga in her work as a Counselling Therapist. Practicing Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, she supports clients in addressing mental health issues through a process of embodiment that may also include elements of talk therapy.

Leslie Bishop

Leslie Hunter, Certified Vinyasa Yoga 1000hour and Yoga Life Coach. Leslie teaches yoga to students and trains yoga teachers from a place of Love. As a senior teacher and teacher trainer at TAYS, Leslie leads exhilarating and unscripted Vinyasa Yoga classes that are challenging, heart pumping and "ah-ha! Inspiring". Leslie incorporates Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness practice, and unadulterated joy into every class. Whether you are attending a yoga class or a life coaching session with Leslie, you leave feeling a new sense of awareness, focus, and inspiration.

Jolene d'Entremont

Ask professional yoga teacher, Jolene d'Entremont, what she learned from her ten years as a flight attendant and she’ll tell you.... “patience, patience and more patience”. Ask her what she’s learned from her yoga teacher training and she’ll tell you; “the true meaning of being grounded”. Jolene is a skilled vinyasa teacher, an avid meditation student and an expert in pre-natal and postnatal yoga instruction.

Jolene followed up her 200-hour teacher training in 2006 with additional courses in pre and postnatal yoga instruction. She has also completed her 500 hour professional level teacher training certification at TAYS and she is passionate about vinyasa yoga, which she continues to study with Master teacher Coeli Marsh. As a mother of three, including two at-home births assisted by midwives, Jolene brings enormous empathy and knowledge to her work with both expectant and new mothers. She has made it her mission to help women see their intrinsic beauty and to honor their bodies at these times of both incredible wonder and equally incredible stress. As one might expect of a mother of three, Jolene knows a great deal about sharing which is a wonderful thing for us as she has much to share. Jolene has been teaching vinyasa yoga and pre and post natal yoga at TAYS since 2004.